Monday, January 27, 2014

I promise we don't get a kickback from the Pointer Brand folks. It's just that their stuff really fits my lifestyle and it's top quality and reasonably priced. Not to mention, of course, made in U.S.A. I promise I'll move on to another product line next time out.

My lifestyle? Some folks would say that "life" and "style" are an oxymoron when applied to me. I once dated a girl whom my dear old verbally gifted Aunt Adine referred to as "sartorially splendid." I'm sure the girl's rating went up in that category just from standing next to me. She was, incidentally, a designer for an apparel company, back in the day. We didn't last long.

To get to the point, a year or so ago I ordered a pair of Pointer Brand's "Full Cut Hickory Stripe Carpenter Overalls (Wide Stripe)." When I'm not SouthStarrin', I have some land I like to work on way out in the country. You can quickly ruin shirts and even jeans out there, as for one thing there's a lot of clay. It's hard to wash out when you've been kneeling in the clay working to extract something like an old stand of barbed wire from your mower blade, %*&#!

And there are constantly things to get snagged on, not the least of which is hypodermic-quality thorn vines. I like to wear my jeans to work (see previous post), and as hayseed as its reputation may be, sporting overalls is not quite the bomb in Nashville, so I save the jeans for working in the city and the overalls are for the country. By the way, the tractor, the boots, and the workshirt in the picture are all made in the U.S.A., too.

Back to the overalls, the pockets are fabulous, especially the zippered bib pocket on the front, for all those things I need to carry around out there. They're 100% cotton and all that; you can read about all the features on Pointer Brand's web site. But here's what I like about them: They're loose cut, so they're easy to move around in. The legs have some extra length to them, so they cover my boots well, affording me extra protection from snakes. They are light enough to wear in summer (the one non-poisonous snake bite I've gotten was enough to cure me from wandering around out there in shorts) but give good coverage against winter winds (with plenty of room for long johns underneath). Speaking of pests, I think the high waist gives at least a bit of an advantage against ticks getting in. And they're durable; I must have washed them twenty or more times already and they're still good as new. They are available in denim and so forth, but I like to think I look quite stylish in my Hickory Stripes.

Of course, there are some things I don't like, but they're nuisances about overalls in general, not Pointer Brand's. Like straps always falling off the shoulder. But I think everyone, especially you pattern designers who have to carry a lot of compasses and rulers and pens and such, should have a good pair of overalls, and you know those tight fitting skinny jeans of yours are terrible for leaning over cutting tables. Support fellow American manufacturers and order a pair today. I promise you won't be sorry.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Every now and then we’ll get
a little love note from a customer like the one we got this weekend:

This whole user name and password is a pain. Just let me order my items or I will find another supplier that doesn't insist I create yet another user name and password.

Thank you.

We’ve been using the same
website and e-commerce system for several years now. It’s done a yeoman’s job
for us. We’re now approaching our 13,000th order processed through
it! Even if it’s getting a little long in the tooth, not quite up to date with
all the mobile apps and so forth, it’s still a workhorse. As far as I can
figure it, about a third of our business comes directly through the website and
easily another third may come by phone or otherwise, but anyway has something to do with the website. You can’t imagine how many of our telephone conversations
start with, “I’m looking at your website and…”

In fact, despite the occasional
little criticisms we get of it like the one above, we also get a fair amount of
praise. I think our web site works best because it works more like a
traditional catalog that most of our industry grew up on and everybody misses
(except for those of us who had to pay for their printing and distribution!).
That’s why I’ve been slow to change it. Most of the stuff out there today seems
to want to do your thinking for you, and often because of that you can find
everything but what you set out to look for. So we will not allow that to change.

But some things, like the
way we process credit card orders, will have to change, and the simple fact that
our old software won’t work so well on all current-day servers, means that we
do indeed have to update it. It’s a tedious process to get it right, and we’re
not exactly Amazon.com when it comes to resources, so we have to be very
careful not to throw money at the wrong thing. All that being said, I’m happy
to report that we’re on the verge of some major upgrading and changing.

And right now, Sewbiz
friends, your input would be very helpful. What do you like about our site,
what do you hate about it, what would you like to see us add to it? No time is
better than the present—and I mean the real present, right now, January
2014—to speak up about our site. Just email your comments via service@southstarsupply.com .
Your comments will remain confidential, but will be greatly appreciated and
will be put to good use if we can do so.

And check in frequently to
watch for our improvements. Or better yet, test drive it by placing an order. Frequently!!!

We look forward to hearing
from you, thank you, and best wishes for the new year!